World briefs

INDONESIA’s navy has seized a fishing boat carrying 20 crewmembers, including 14 Indonesians believed to be trafficking victims who were forced to work for years without pay, officials said yesterday.

CAMBODIA’s National Election Committee warned yesterday that anyone urging voters to boycott the upcoming general election or otherwise interfere in the polls could face criminal charges and be fined.

INDIA At least 27 children were killed yesterday when their school bus skidded off a mountain road into a gorge in the foothills of the Himalayas, officials said.

ISRAEL-SYRIA Syria has blamed Israel for a missile attack on a central air base yesterday that reportedly killed 14 people, including three Iranians, saying that it was only made possible because of the “unlimited support of the American administration.” 

TURKEY A cargo ship has crashed into a historic mansion on Istanbul’s Bosporus strait, severely damaging the building.

POLAND As Poles mark the eighth anniversary today of a plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and dozens of other top Polish officials, new monuments are going up and streets are being renamed to honor the victims of the national tragedy.

HUNGARY Prime Minister Viktor Orban has won a third consecutive term in office on a virulently anti-migration platform, and it’s likely that advocates for refugees and asylum-seekers will be among the first casualties.

DJIBOUTI an arid Horn of Africa nation with less than 1 million inhabitants, also is already a military outpost for the U.S. China, France, Italy and Japan, but now wants to become a major shipping outpost too.

MEXICO FIFA inspectors begin evaluating Mexico’s suitability to stage World Cup matches in 2026 yesterday after a study commissioned for the North American bid highlighted concerns about violent attacks on female fans, human rights activists and reporters in the country.

CANADA A controversial Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project that would nearly triple the flow of oil from Canada’s oil sands to the Pacific Coast is in doubt after the company announced a suspension in all non-essential activities and related spending on the project.